How Does ‘Text to Give’ Work Anyway?

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Development & Marketing Coordinator, Jessica Green!

Here at ILACSD we are always looking for new and innovative ways to reach more San Diegans and change the way they think about and treat the natural world around them. I think we all know that doing that isn’t free, and as a nonprofit organization we sometimes have to get creative in how we raise the money needed to provide environmental education, conduct countywide cleanups and run our one stop recycling resource WasteFreeSD.org.

Recently we launched our first ever Text to Give campaign where our supporters (that’s you!) can text the word CLEAN to 80888 and donate $10 to help us do those things. The first question most people ask us when they hear that is, “So how does this Text to Give thing work anyway?”

You send a text message. No, really. That’s the hardest thing you have to do! You text the keyword CLEAN to the number 80888 and you’ll receive a reply asking you to confirm that you would like to donate to ILACSD. Text back the word YES and you’re done! Ok, technically you have to send two text messages 🙂

The donation shows up on your next cell phone bill. No personal information is required, you’ll see the donation on your bill and you pay your bill just like you always do.

Your cell phone provider sends us your donation. After you pay your bill, your cell phone provider gathers all of the donations together and sends a check to ILACSD. Right now the program only works if you have Verizon, AT&T, Sprint or T-Mobile.

So what can we do with your donation? That is the million dollar question right? Or ten dollar question in this case 🙂

With your $10 donation we can mobilize 20 volunteers at a cleanup event in our community. On average, our volunteers pick up an amazing 15 pounds of trash and debris each. So, your one text message will remove 300 pounds of trash from San Diego’s beaches, bays, creeks, and canyons!

That is one really small action that leads to a really big impact.

Now, whip out your phone and send that text! Or if you’re reading this one your phone, stop now and send that text! And encourage your friends and family to do the same. Think about it like this, if you and two friends text CLEAN to 80888 you can remove almost 1,000 pounds of trash from the local environment and you don’t even have to get off of your couch!

If you have any questions about our text to give campaign, feel free to contact me at jgreen@cleansd.org.

Coastal Cleanup Day: Way More Than Your Average Beach Cleanup

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s newest Outreach Intern, Taylor!

Hi! I’m Taylor Goelz and I’m the new Outreach Intern at I Love A Clean San Diego. I’m a junior Environmental Studies major and French minor at University of San Diego, right up the road from the beautiful Liberty Station location of ILACSD. I was super excited at the prospect of interning with ILACSD because I wanted to be able to make a real difference environmentally in the city of San Diego and I couldn’t have chosen a better place to intern for the semester!

ILACSD Staff & Interns setting up in Serra Mesa

I just started my internship last week and I was quickly thrown into Coastal Cleanup Day mode. Over the summer when I was being interviewed by the lovely Community Outreach Coordinator, Lexi Ambrogi, practically the first question she asked me was if I was free on September 15th for this event. It was intimidating enough being the new girl, first week on the job, but of course the biggest event that ILACSD holds all year was going to be the first event that I attended! Hearing my alarm go off at 5:30 last Saturday was rough, I’m not going to lie, but once I got to the site and started unloading the U-Haul full of stuff with the rest of the staff and interns, I started to get really excited for the day that lay ahead.

You never know what you’ll find at CCD, this “yarn forest” was quite a surprise!

Lexi had forewarned me that the Serra Mesa Community Center that was serving as the Kickoff Site this year had about 300 volunteers registered but nothing prepared me for the vast amount of people that started descending on the registration table that I was working starting at 8:30! ILACSD had encouraged people to BYOB (bring your own buckets) and gloves and I was pleasantly surprised at how many people showed up lugging big buckets!

The only unfortunate thing about Coastal Cleanup Day was the heat! Now I’m from Tucson, Arizona and typically I can handle heat, but Saturday was a whole different kind of hot, even for me! I was so happy that despite the triple digit temperatures volunteers still came out and did some amazing work! While the final totals are still coming in, even with the heat, we are estimating that Coastal Cleanup Day drew over 7,200 volunteers at the 88 cleanup sites around San Diego County. The numbers are in for the amount of trash, recyclables, green waste (mainly invasive species pulled from area parks and canyons) that ILACSD collected on Saturday and we collected 150,000 poundsof trash and debris!

Volunteers bringing back their haul!

Thank you to all of the amazing volunteers who took time out of their busy lives, and braved the heat, to make our community a cleaner, healthier place to live!

If you weren’t able to make it to Coastal Cleanup Day, or if you came out to volunteer and want to make your impact last even longer, you can text the word CLEAN to the number 80888 to donate $10 to I Love A Clean San Diego!

No personal information is required; the donation will simply show up on your next cell phone bill. Your single donation of $10 can help us remove an additional 300 pounds of trash from the local environment in the next year!

Exfoliating With What?! Why sloughing off skin could be hurting our environment.

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Director of Development and Marketing, Morgan Justice-Black!

Update 1/15/2013: Unilever announces it will phase out the use of plastic beads in its products! More info here.

We live in a dry, arid climate, which means dry skin during the summer months. Chances are that for many of us, the daily routine of tooth brushing and face washing might also include a little exfoliating. You know, scrubbing with gentle, natural, sweet smelling microbeads. The good news – no dead, dry skin here. The bad news – you could be scrubbing your face (and body) with plastic!

Photo Credit: Surfrider Foundation

This issue came to my attention thanks to our friends at Surfrider Foundation’s Rise Above Plastics campaign. They showed an image of the ingredient list on the back of a bottle of “natural daily scrub with microbeads” and I was shocked! The fourth ingredient… polyethylene! That’s right; those microbeads are actually polyethylene pieces of PLASTIC! I went home and checked out my favorite foot scrub and right there in front of my eyes was that word…polyethylene. Not only does it seem “unnatural” to rub your face and body with plastic, but what happens to these little plastic beads when they go down the sink or tub? Do they get filtered, captured and recycled? Absolutely not!

Those innocent looking microbeads end up flowing into local watersheds and out to the ocean! How do we know? Well, 5 Gyres, a reputable research organization focusing primarily on plastic pollution hinted at it in a recent blog post. Just one sample from their study this summer in the Great Lakes contained 600 plastic microbeads!

Now that you are in the know, don’t let the facial cleanser industry pull the wool over your eyes any longer. Check the list of ingredients on everything that you buy, and if you see an exfoliating product that contains polyethylene, don’t buy it!

Thanks to the Surfrider Foundation and 5 Gyres for helping to bring attention to this!

Why Should You Get Involved in Coastal Cleanup Day 2012?

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Development & Marketing Coordinator, Jessica Green!

There is still time to sign up to volunteer and be a part of San Diego’s biggest one day volunteer event dedicated to our local environment, but not much! Today is the last day to register to help out at one of 88 cleanup sites around San Diego County for Coastal Cleanup Day 2012.

Why should you get involved with Coastal Cleanup Day?

We’re reaching new communities.

This year we have 4 cleanup sites in communities that we’ve never reached before including Lindo Lake in Lakeside, and Flynn Springs Canyon Park in El Cajon. The local boating community is also pitching in at our two on the water cleanup sites at Sun Harbor Marina and Shelter Island. Volunteers are invited to bring their kayaks, canoes, etc. and will be given nets and special absorbent sheets that will allow them to collect trash in the water and along the hard to reach shore line, as well as absorb any gas or oil they find floating on the surface of the water.

We’re changing the way people think and act to protect the environment.

Engaging volunteers, especially children, in cleaning up their community gives them a greater sense of responsibility to protect it. Seeing all the trash and cigarette butts littering their favorite beach, bay, creek, or canyon will hopefully make them think twice before they litter themselves and to encourage those around them not to litter. Coastal Cleanup Day goes a step further than that though, our volunteers will count each and every piece of trash they pick up and report the totals back to us. This information will be tallied together with data from the other 53 California counties participating in Coastal Cleanup Day, as well as data from International Coastal Cleanup Day to be used to influence litter prevention legislation.

Local actions, global impact.

At the same time that we here in San Diego take on the task of cleaning up our local environment, hundreds of thousands of volunteers all over California, and all over the world, are doing the same in their communities as part of California Coastal Cleanup Day and International Coastal Cleanup Day.

Beach cleanups may be more fun, but inland sites need you more.

This was taken LAST WEEK at the Tijuana River – Dairy Mart Rd. site.

Even though the event is ‘Coastal’ Cleanup Day, we know that the majority of debris that ends up at the coast, started somewhere inland. San Diego’s vast watershed system is a virtual trash highway, shuttling litter and debris straight to the ocean through our creeks, rivers, and the storm water system. At our beach sites you’ll find plenty of trash, especially cigarette butts and tiny pieces of plastic and Styrofoam you probably never noticed were there. But at our inland sites is where you’ll find the big stuff, everything from plastic bottles and whole Styrofoam containers (which become those tiny pieces on the beach), to big things like car batteries, tires, and even the occasional chandelier. Check out the sites in green on our website who are still in desperate need of volunteers.

Can’t make it tomorrow? You can still help out.

And you don’t even have to get out of bed to do it! Grab your phone and text the word CLEAN to the number 80888 to donate $10 to I Love A Clean San Diego. Your gift will go straight to work cleaning up our community, and changing the behaviors that caused it to get dirty in the first place. Your one text message can help us remove 300 pounds of trash from your favorite beaches, bays, creeks, canyons, and open space areas!


Click here and register to volunteer!

CCD is Just Another Walk in the Park For Jason Allen

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Marketing Intern, Brian!

Park Ranger Jason Allen is no stranger to Coastal Cleanup Day. Though he bounces to a different site every year, Jason is in his seventh year as a CCD Site Captain. This year he is leading the charge at our Golden Hill – Juniper Canyon site.

Sure the scope of Coastal Cleanup Day is expansive, but you could almost say CCD is just another day in the life of Jason. As a Park Ranger for the Open Spaces Division of the City of San Diego’s Parks and Recreation Department, Jason and his coworkers manage 3,200 acres of open space canyons and parkland throughout the city limits.

In the realm of open spaces, CCD offers Jason an opportunity. As with other years, he’s able to choose cleanup sites that don’t normally have regular volunteer cleanups and are in need of some special attention. In fact, Jason makes sure to choose a different site each year in order to maximize his efforts.

Q:  What motivated you to volunteer with I Love A Clean San Diego?

A:  I have a passion for protecting, preserving and enhancing the natural open space canyons and parklands the city has to offer. Part of protecting, preserving and enhancing these sensitive unique open space areas are by keeping them clean of trash and debris. It only seemed natural to work with ILACSD to achieve this goal.

Q:  Why do you think events like Coastal Cleanup Day are important?

A:  Coastal Cleanup Day is important because it helps to educate people through volunteering. People learn firsthand that it’s not okay to just throw their trash on the street or into a storm drain. That trash can be deadly to wildlife, it pollutes the groundwater, and it’s just an ugly sight. If left untouched, the trash eventually finds its way through storm drains and into our sensitive open spaces and ocean. If we stop the trash at the inland sources, it will help keep San Diego and the ocean healthy and clean.

Q:  What is the strangest piece of trash you’ve found?

A:  A roller skating trophy. It was the old style skate with four wheels and all. I think it was from the 1970s. It must have been a cherished achievement to someone at some point.

There is still time to sign up and volunteer at Coastal Cleanup Day, but not much! The event is this Saturday, September 15th from 9am to noon. Go to www.cleanupday.org and find a Coastal Cleanup Site near you!

You can remove 300 pounds of trash with just one text.

You have the power to help restore our community and change people’s behaviors by supporting I Love A Clean San Diego.

Cleanup events, like this weekend’s Coastal Cleanup Day, are one way that we at ILACSD mobilize our community to preserve the San Diego way of life that we all know and love by picking up litter from some of our most treasured beaches, bays, rivers and parks. By engaging community members as volunteers to pick up litter, especially kids, we help change the way they think about protecting our local environment.

If you’ve been to one of our cleanups, you know the problem of trash in our environment is a big one. Now you can go a step further to help cleanup your local environment by texting the word CLEAN to the number 80888 to donate $10 to I Love A Clean San Diego!

Your $10 donation can remove 300 pounds of trash from your local community.

You don’t have to give any personal information to text and donate! The donation will show up on your next cell phone bill.

Text CLEAN to 80888 today!

 

Two For One Site Captains? ILACSD Loves a BOGO!

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Marketing Intern, Brian!

Co-captains Monica Fuentes and Kevin Johnston are teaming up for Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15th at the I Love A Clean San Diego media site to take on the hefty project of the Serra Mesa’s canyon lands.

Monica, Tire Queen of the Canyon Kingdom

Monica is no stranger to Ruffin Canyon, an area near her home that extends over 84 acres. Over the years she has been a site captain at many of its Creek to Bay and Coastal Cleanup Day sites, periodically setting up new cleanups within Serra Mesa.  In fact, Monica has volunteered so many times that she’s lost track. Though not even sure how many years it’s been, judging by the number of ILACSD shirts in her closet we’d have to say it’s been a lot!

Although Kevin is new to the Serra Mesa site, he’s also no stranger to Coastal Cleanup Day.  This will be his sixth year as a CCD site captain, the previous five being at Eugene Canyon in Normal Heights.  This year he is using his expertise to tackle Serra Mesa’s Library Canyon. These experienced canyon captains are a perfect pair to head up this site, and Monica is sure to use her site knowledge to guide them both to excellence.

Kevin brings the muscle

Monica became involved with ILACSD through her work with Friends of Ruffin Canyon, a local Serra Mesa group that fosters community participation in the protection of Ruffin Canyon. Although an avid hiker and gardener, it wasn’t until she became involved with Friends of Ruffin Canyon that she started learning about the native plants in and around the area.  Now she works hard with the group to preserve the native species while getting rid of invasive plants.

Kevin is a nature lover that has been drawn to the canyons ever since he moved to San Diego. He simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to clean up his local canyon with the help of an organization and a  team of volunteers. Receiving the publicity, supplies and encouragement that CCD has to offer was definitely a bonus.

What motivated you to be a site captain with I Love A Clean San Diego?

Kevin:  I prefer to volunteer in the local canyon in the neighborhood I live in. I live in Serra Mesa now, and Library Canyon hasn’t had as much attention as Ruffin. It’s great to have these local nature escapes and interesting habitats in the urban environment.

Why do you think events like Coastal Cleanup Day are important?

Kevin:  ILACSD events have been essential in improving our water quality, the health of our natural urban ecosystems, and the overall aesthetics of our open space areas – encouraging nature-based recreation by the locals and giving sensitive species a place to thrive.

Monica:  Coastal Cleanup Day is a great event because it helps publicize the importance of cleanups in our inland area and prevents debris from ending up in the ocean. Although inland, Ruffin Canyon connects to the San Diego River.

What is the strangest piece of trash you’ve found at Coastal Cleanup Day?

Kevin:  We found a Mr. Potato Head toy in Eugene Canyon one year.

Monica:  The strangest piece of trash was an empty safe that had been pried open…

You can join Monica and Kevin’s team in Serra Mesa by clicking here and registering!

Not near Serra Mesa?  Go to www.cleanupday.org and find a Coastal Cleanup Site near you!

CCD Site Captain Barbara C. Anderson Is Officially Lake Murray’s Best Friend

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Marketing Intern, Brian!

Barbara in action!

This week our Site Captain spotlight shines brightly on the lovely Barbara C. Anderson at our Lake Murray Coastal Cleanup Day site!

Barbara has been actively working to keep her part of San Diego County clean for over 18 years now. In 1994 she founded Friends of Lake Murray, a community-based nonprofit dedicated to engaging community members about the natural wonders of their shared public space and taking responsibility for keeping that area clean, beautiful and accessible to everyone.

Lake Murray is an important place for Barbara because of its beauty.  It’s a beautiful public space where people can exercise and take in the nature that surrounds them. She volunteers her time to ensure that the area is clean, accessible and enjoyed by many – and she has inspired countless others to do the same.

Barbara understands first hand the value of volunteerism. The Friends of Lake Murray organization exists because it’s able to make a bigger impact than the existing lake staff can make on their own. Friends of Lake Murray coordinates beautification activities, clears out invasive species, and obtains much-needed items for the area such as picnic tables and doggie bags.

Barbara’s favorite part of organizing community cleanups is the participation of children and families. She ensures their participation through her outreach to schools, churches and scouts. Barbara loves seeing kids return to cleanups as teenagers. “My theory is if children participate in the cleanups they won’t throw trash on the ground.”

Q:  What motivated you to be a Site Captain for Coastal Cleanup Day?

A:  When we started as a non0profit in 1994, our group did monthly cleanups. We found dead and injured birds wrapped in fishing line, and there was plastic everything everywhere. It wasn’t possible for the lake staff to do their jobs and also try to maintain a clean environment. When I got the call from ILACSD about participating in a big cleanup day we jumped at the opportunity!

Q:  Have you always been a site captain for one particular site?

A:  The answers is yes! The lake is important, not only to me but to our whole community, as a place to exercise and absorb nature. Anyone can come out and bike, run, walk, or even just sit on a bench and zone out if they like. Lake Murray has easy access to all.

Q:  What’s your favorite part of participating in Coastal Cleanup Day?

A:  That’s easy. The Children! I will often hear children ask a grownup, “why do people throw trash on the ground? That’s awful!” It’s a perfect day for parents and kids to bond.

Q:  Why do you think events like Coastal Cleanup Day are important

A:  One reason to keep the environment clean is because people tend to throw trash in receptacles if the area is trash free. Peer pressure works too though. For example, we were the first to get doggie bag dispensers all over our lake road, and now many other places make them available as well.

You can join Barbara’s team at the Lake Murray site by clicking here and registering!

Not near Lake Murray?  Go to www.cleanupday.org and find a Coastal Cleanup Site near you!

CCD Captain Ted Godshalk: Educator and Environmental Enthusiast Extraordinaire

Today’s post comes from ILACSD’s Marketing Intern, Brian!

The mighty Ted

Ted Godshalk isn’t just an all-star Site Captain who is devoting his time to Coastal Cleanup Day on September 15th; he’s also an all-star teacher, educating students about the importance of environmental awareness! Now in his 7th year as a CCD Site Captain, Ted’s veteran expertise is a valuable asset. National City is lucky to have such a devoted Site Captain!

Stemming from his former adult life spent as a National School District Classroom Teacher, and his current work as a part time teacher in the both the Sweetwater Union High School District and the Coronado Unified School District, Ted is no stranger to taking charge and organizing groups.

Not only an experienced educator, but also Natural Resource Management Certified, he is a great and valuable asset to his neighborhood, his site and his volunteers.  Ted loves the idea that ILACSD offers the chance to rapidly improve small, formerly-neglected wetlands in the heart of a heavily urbanized area.

As an urban wetland, the Paradise Creek cleanup site offers a great perspective about the direct impact that cities have on local ecosystems.  Let Ted tell you all about the importance of clean waterways and preserving wetlands as you help him on September 15th. “There is nothing better than seeing the huge amount of work that is accomplished in a single day!”

Q:  What motivated you to be a Site Captain with I Love A Clean San Diego?

A:  As a site captain I have always been at Paradise Creek Educational Park in National City.  This site is important to me because it is in my neighborhood.

As a teacher, Paradise Creek is an excellent place to help students and community members learn about the importance of wetlands and the fragile habitat.  Many children have their first exposure to environmental awareness and action through their days spent at Paradise Creek. This place is my “Everglades.”

Q:  Why do you think events like Coastal Cleanup Day are important?

A:  With Coastal Cleanup Days, skilled organizers utilize the power of big numbers of people at sites where the impact of their good work is like a surgical strike on the enemies: trash and other debris. The Ocean and its animals love Coastal Cleanup Day volunteers!

Q:  What is the strangest piece of trash you’ve seen at Coastal Cleanup Day?

A:  One year, a volunteer found a vintage football helmet. That’s not as strange as other things I’ve heard of though.

You can join Ted’s team at the National City – Paradise Creek site by clicking here and registering!

Not near National City?  Go to www.cleanupday.org and find a Coastal Cleanup Site near you!

Local Boaters Take to the Seas for Coastal Cleanup Day 2012

Adam enjoying the ocean air on his home, the Betty Jean

The main focus of Coastal Cleanup Day is picking up trash on our beaches, along local creeks and rivers, and in local canyons. But what about the trash that’s already in the water? This year we’re attacking that water-logged trash as well. Adam Hopps joins us for his first Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, September 15th, as the volunteer Site Captain at our Shelter Island cleanup site.

Partnering with the Silver Gate Yacht Club, Adam hopes to get local boaters involved in cleaning up areas of our waterways that aren’t accessible by foot. Using grabbers and nets, these sea lovers will cleanup trash that is already floating in the water and even use tools to absorb oil that’s floating on top of the water. But enough from us, we’ll let Adam tell you more about it…

What motivated you to volunteer as a Site Captain for Coastal Cleanup Day?

I live on a sailboat in a marina on Shelter Island. Every day I witness the effects of litter and water pollution on our Bay. On a daily basis I see trash (usually plastic bottles and bags) floating on the surface of the water in and around in the marinas, in the Bay and out in the ocean. In the marinas it’s especially bad during low tide when trash has been brought in with the tide and becomes trapped in the shallow areas and in the sand – only accessible from a water craft.

Coastal Cleanup Day is California’s largest volunteer event focused on the marine environment but up until this point boaters haven’t been extremely involved in this event. When I was approached by ILACSD to coordinate a joint land and on-the-water cleanup site, I was thrilled at the idea of engaging boaters to make a difference in our own backyards as well as expanding the reach and environmental impact of this Cleanup.

How long have you been volunteering with ILACSD?

This is my first event and I’m excited to be partnering with the Silver Gate Yacht Club who will host the meet up location.

Why is that site important to you?

Living on a boat in San Diego is a blessed life. We have a dynamic marine & aquatic community, a gorgeous Bay to sail in and beautiful weather year round. It’s really hard to see the Bay tarnished with trash and oil. Even though approximately 80% of marine debris comes from inland communities, many of it makes its way into the open water which beach cleanup volunteers simply cannot access. The boating community is a natural fit for Coastal Cleanup Day because we have access to those areas from our boats, dinghies, kayaks and docks. Also, for the first time, we’re supplying on-the-water volunteers with oil absorbent sheets to use on surface level oil slicks.

We’re immensely lucky to have a magnificent natural resource like the San Diego Bay to call home and need to do our part to conserve and protect it.

What are you most looking forward to at Coastal Cleanup Day?

I’m looking forward to seeing a bunch of great people come together for a common goal. I think it’s inspiring. Also, it wouldn’t be a boater event if it wasn’t followed by a dock party!

Why do you think events like Coastal Cleanup Day are important to keeping San Diego healthy and clean?

Well, not only are tons of trash and debris collected and removed from our greatest natural areas, but the people involved become more and more aware of the harmful effects of litter and pollution and band together to make a difference. Volunteers tend to get their own families and friends involved which is why this event seems to grow every year!

What is the strangest piece of trash you’ve found out on the water?

I can’t speak for CCD, but we’ll pull trash out of the water when we’re sailing in the ocean and we’ve found half a dozen birthday helium balloons over the years.

Have you registered to volunteer at Coastal Cleanup Day yet?
Click here and sign up for any of the over 85 cleanup sites across
San Diego County!